150 Nelson residents protest pipeline sale

About 150 people gathered in front of city hall in Nelson on Monday to protest the federal government’s purchase of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. The event was a coordinated effort across the country, in which people gathered in front of MPs’ offices. Kootenay Columbia MP Wayne Stetski, whose office is in the city hall building, was not present.

The demonstration was short — less than a half hour — the main event being a speech from local pipeline activist Keith Wiley.

“This was a very upsetting week with the nationalization of the pipeline,” Wiley told the Star after he addressed the crowd. “The fact that there is so little talk about the climate change aspects of the bitumen, about the big picture stuff, is extremely upsetting. It’s all talk about making the provinces play nice, and the politics of it. This completely avoids the elephant in the room which is our planet’s climate.”

About the size of the turnout, Wiley said, “I’m thrilled. I thought there would be 100 people here and there were well over 100. I know people care. It’s not hard to organize people to do this.”

He said there will be other events.

“We are not going to stop.”

The demonstration was Nelson’s second against the pipeline sale in one week.